Kano comes up behind her, and I’m struck absolutely speechless when the man yanks down the zipper of Yuki’s dress before ripping the fabric from her body until it pools by her feet.
“As you can see, she has lost weight and has a perfect body,” Tanaka says. “Any man would be lucky to have her. I have a few lined up, so you'd better make your decision now, Mr. Vitale. This offer is only valid for today.”
Tension rolls through the room like a tidal wave, and when Christiano darts to his feet, I shoot forward while shrugging my jacket off. Yuki gasps in shock at the humiliation she’s forced to endure, her body trembling badly as I wrap my jacket around her.
The instant I have her covered, I turn toward Tanaka, ready to kill him.
“Augusto,” Christiano says with authority that has me stopping in my tracks. “Are you willing to marry the woman?”
My head swivels back to Yuki, and as I take in the state she’s in, I can’t bring myself to say no.
I don’t know anything about her except that she’s suffered a lot because of me. First, I almost killed her, and today she’s been horribly humiliated.
“Augusto?” Christiano says to bring my attention back to the volatile situation.
“Yuki’s innocence is intact. She’s currently being trained to be the perfect wife,” Tanaka says, his tone matter-of-fact as if we’re discussing the sale of a car or house. “If we arrange the marriage for a month from now, I can guarantee she will be ready to serve all your needs.”
Jesus fucking Christ.
A second away from losing my shit, I turn around and stalk out of the suite so I don’t give in to my thirst for revenge and kill the head of the Yakuza with my bare hands.
“Augusto!” Adriano calls as he follows me. Being the eldest out of the five heads of the Cosa Nostra, he’s like an older brother to us all.
When I come to a stop at the end of the hallway, I turn around to see Rosie with Adriano. Noticing how pale she is, I move forward and wrap my arms around her.
“That’s…” She can’t get the words out and shakes her head as she returns my hug.
If any of us knew this was how the meeting was going to turn out, we would’ve left Rosie at home.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I tell her as I rub my hand up and down her back.
“The poor woman,” Rosie whimpers. She’s such a caring person, her heart must be breaking for Yuki.
“You have to make a decision,” Adriano says, his features tense. “As fucked up as it is. Let’s just get this over with so we can get Rosie out of here.”
He’s right.
Letting go of Rosie, I nudge her toward Adriano. “Stay out here with her. I don’t want her in the suite.”
As I walk back to the suite, I take deep breaths while my mind races for a solution to this shit show.
If I decline Tanaka’s offer, there’s a good chance the meeting will end in bloodshed. If I accept, it means Yuki will be forced to marry me, which is probably the last thing she wants.
When I enter the suite, all eyes turn to me. Except for Yuki’s as she stands with her head bowed while clinging to my jacket to keep it wrapped around her body.
If I decline, Yuki will be forced to marry another man.
As I stare at the woman I beat until she was covered in bruises, I can’t bring myself to say no.
If I marry her, it will give me the chance to repent for the unforgivable sin I’ve committed against her.
For the first time since our paths crossed, I take a good look at Yuki Tanaka. Her black hair has been cut into a cute style with face-framing layers. Her skin is pale, and her features are petite and feminine.
I could swear she was taller the last time I saw her.
I walk closer to her, and when I’m a couple of steps away from her, she cringes back, her eyes darting up to meet mine.
Tanaka snaps angrily at her, and she quickly lowers her head.
